How is Isaiah Bell progressing?
I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about Isaiah Bell. I remember Rivals and Scout feeling pretty "meh" about him and ESPN gushing over him. Watching him cover some pretty talented guys in the Under Armour AA game made me think he might make it as a safety, but with the usage of Stevie Brown at SAM being so effective and Bell commenting that he would be "real close" to the line of scrimmage, I was wondering if anyone knew if he was sticking to the SAM spot.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
he's listed at 220lbs right now, i'd guess will, maybe even mike.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 PM ^
I watched him and Fitz T all thru HS and Isaiah can RUN
November 4th, 2009 at 9:34 PM ^
that Liberty team was nasty. i remember going to see Fitz, and coming away more impressed with Isaiah.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:54 PM ^
I wanted him to stay at safety, too, but from what I've heard, he's been playing ILB. The switch from FS to ILB is even more difficult than moving from S to OLB, so I wouldn't expect Bell to make an impact very soon.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:03 PM ^
at this rate, we're going to have like 10 sam linebackers on the field, with Will Campbell being Nose Tackle. It'll be a 1-10-0 defense. That almost wouldnt surprise me.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:21 PM ^
As long as at least one of those 10 can keep up with a TE, I'm okay with it.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 PM ^
I'm pretty sure USC ran an alignment with only 1 defensive tackle and 6 linebackers earlier in the year. The school could be wrong, maybe it was Alabama. All I remember are red jerseys and the QB getting pummeled by an all out blitz.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 PM ^
I know the Browns run it. They have Shaun Rogers the only down lineman and 5 to 6 men standing. It is weird and since the Browns run it it is destined for failure.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:00 AM ^
I could be wrong, but I think the Patriots ran this as well. I think when they ran it they didn't have any linemen go down in the stance.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:28 AM ^
The 49ers run a similar thing except they just have everyone standing no one on the line. They do it to cause confusion since theres about 7 guys near the line and the offense doesnt know whos coming in.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:49 AM ^
With the way our defense is back sliding, I'm a little worried that your "1-10-0" will be our team record next year going into the OSU game, not our defensive alignment!
November 4th, 2009 at 1:07 AM ^
he was on a stationary bike :(
November 4th, 2009 at 7:05 AM ^
I'm not a coach... what is it about ILB vs OLB that makes it more difficult?
November 4th, 2009 at 8:51 AM ^
As a free safety, you're playing out in space with occasional man coverage responsibilities. You can largely play downhill against the run and any blocks you take on are out in space.
As an inside linebacker, you have to take on blocks from offensive linemen right off the bat. You have to make the right read IMMEDIATELY or you risk losing your gap responsibility or being burned in the passing game. You either have to plug a gap or scrape across, which requires a great deal of discipline.
As an outside linebacker (Steve Brown, in Michigan's case), you're taking on blocks out in space more frequently. The reads are a little bit easier. You end up in coverage against a receiver or a tight end, much like safety. One of your biggest responsibilities is setting the edge, i.e. keeping outside contain on sweeps and stretch plays.